Happy Birthday Daddy!

Monday, October 8, 2012

This past week I have found myself talking about my father more often than I am used to. During almost every meaningful discussion I’ve had with a Paulista (what the locals are called) in Sampa (Sao Paulo) I’ve noticed that my dad usually comes up. The typical conversation goes like this – I give my name; they ask where I’m from; I say I was born and raised in Nigeria but now live in the U.S.; they usually ask why I moved; and then I tell them about how my dad wanted us to have a great education and better opportunities.

I know for a fact I have had this exact conversation more times in the last week than in the past year or two years combined. The short version usually goes like this: my family is from a village in the southern region of Nigeria called Idumuje - Ugboko. Until a couple of years ago Ugboko, or “ID Jungle”, as we sometimes refer to it, lacked power, running water, and even paved roads. I believe it is now on the verge of becoming a small town, although it still has only one paved road that runs through the center of it. My father was not a college graduate but through hard work and determination he found some success in the oil & gas industry in Nigeria, and helped educate most of his younger siblings and take care of his immediate and extended family.

One by one (or maybe it was two by two) my dad sent seven (yes, 7!) of his children from the developing world to the U.S. over the course of 20 years. He wanted to give us the best he could afford. He wanted to give us the opportunity to be anything we wanted to be. Now, 15 years later, I have had the rare opportunity to graduate with two degrees and zero student loans (thanks A LOT dad!); join one of the biggest professional services firms in the world; become a U.S. Citizen (I will be voting for the first time in 4 weeks); and enjoy a wide array of personal and professional experiences that many only dream of.

I know that I now have a tendency to take things for granted and I have to force myself to remember how far I have come and how far my family has come. Being in the land of opportunity for 15 years can do that to you. So whether I am enjoying the sights, scents and sounds of Sao Paulo; the benefits and opportunities that come with working for E&Y; or the freedoms I sometimes take for granted as a United States citizen; I can’t help but think about my father on this 8^th day of October 2012. I know that whatever is good in me or good in my life is primarily due to my father and the sacrifices he made.

Cheers to you, dad. Thank you for everything and Happy Birthday! I hope today is all you hoped it would be and more.

Idumuje- Ugboko may be small, but it's not too small for Google Maps!